Healthy Living

Today the Lothians CTC had "The Last Drum Up' * in the memory of Richard, one of our members who died last week and who has left such a huge hole in our ranks.
The location was one of his favourite spots - Baro wood on the road between Gifford and Garvald.

His Lordship and I after last night's big meal, were in no mood to cycle all the way, so we took the car with the bikes attached part of the way.... ok, most of the way..... and cycled to meet the stalwarts who had ridden all the way.

We sat at the side of the little lochan in the middle of a wood carpeted in snowdrops and ate our sandwiches while we blethered.
Had Richard been there he would have been lighting his stove and brewing up a cup or cups of tea made with loose leaves, which remained floating in his mug and didn't look that good, to be honest.

As it was, there was a large turn out of the usual good, bad and indifferent , and there was much photo taking for the occasion.

When the sun disappeared and it suddenly became quite cold we dispersed in various directions and his Lordship and I were so happy not to have to cycle all the way home into the chilly west wind.

A good occasion then in memory of a great character.

* Drum up is a term used by cyclists for the stop at lunchtime when sandwiches are consumed and drinks taken. It probably dates from the time when a fire would be lit and billy cans produced to make a brew of tea, that being the cyclists drink of choice.
Members who remember that time tell of jerseys and anoraks being peppered with little burn holes and everyone getting very hot and dirty.